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kimreadz's review
4.0
I won this book from Simon & Schuster on the Book Club Favorites Facebook page. It is a long book, over 400 pages, but the writing flowed well, and after the first couple of chapters the book was hard to put down. While I sped right through the book, I am sitting here not sure what I thought of it. I liked it, of course, but I didn’t like everything about it. Most of the characters were not very likable, for one thing. There was also subject matter that was not easy to read; drug use, sex trafficking, poverty.
The story is told in 2 time lines. The first is in the early 1970s in Bangkok, where Robert Preston works undercover, and has brought his family along—a wife and 3 children. After being there almost 4 years, the son disappears without a trace. The 2nd timeline takes place nearly 50 years later, in 2019, when a man claiming to be Philip, the missing son, makes contact with the younger sister. While there are some current day family issues—the mother has Alzheimers, the younger sister has commitment issues, and the older sister is ‘bossy’—much of the story revolves around Philip. Is this man really Philip? What happened to Philip?
While I didn’t really bond to any character, I did want to know what happened to Philip. I also enjoyed reading about 1970s Bangkok, and the arrangement of household servants. The one character I really did like was Noi, the ‘number 3’ servant. I would have liked to have known more about her after the family left Bangkok. I also felt that the final chapter did not need to be there. It didn’t really add anything that I (or Laura) needed to know, and I’m not sure what the point was.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. It will make a great selection for book clubs and for readers who enjoy historical fiction and want to learn a little about the living conditions in Southeast Asia in the early 1970s.
The story is told in 2 time lines. The first is in the early 1970s in Bangkok, where Robert Preston works undercover, and has brought his family along—a wife and 3 children. After being there almost 4 years, the son disappears without a trace. The 2nd timeline takes place nearly 50 years later, in 2019, when a man claiming to be Philip, the missing son, makes contact with the younger sister. While there are some current day family issues—the mother has Alzheimers, the younger sister has commitment issues, and the older sister is ‘bossy’—much of the story revolves around Philip. Is this man really Philip? What happened to Philip?
While I didn’t really bond to any character, I did want to know what happened to Philip. I also enjoyed reading about 1970s Bangkok, and the arrangement of household servants. The one character I really did like was Noi, the ‘number 3’ servant. I would have liked to have known more about her after the family left Bangkok. I also felt that the final chapter did not need to be there. It didn’t really add anything that I (or Laura) needed to know, and I’m not sure what the point was.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. It will make a great selection for book clubs and for readers who enjoy historical fiction and want to learn a little about the living conditions in Southeast Asia in the early 1970s.
suzz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
ceceef's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Confusing & too long
marianne_louise's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was intriguing, spanned many years and narratives centring on one event. A grand sweep of context and broadened my view of expat life in Thailand.
genthebookworm's review
5.0
Family dramas make up some of my very favorite books of all time(The Most Fun We Ever Had and The Dearly Beloved for example), but like many readers, I had a hard time getting into these types of deeper dive novels during the past year.
When a glimmer of much-needed hope finally felt like it was indeed on the horizon, I decided it was time to try again. And then I saw some raving reviews from some of my most trusted book sources for What Could Be Saved, I knew it was a sign.
I decided to do my tried and true reading approach of alternating reading and listening to this title, and wow. If you want to get completely engrossed in a genre like this, this is the way to go. While this book is hard to describe in a sentence or two, What Could Be Saved gives us a deeper look into a family that looks beautiful on the outside but when the curtains are pulled back, layers of turmoil are exposed.
Told through dual timelines, present-day in Washington D.C. and Bangkok in the 1970s, this novel quickly immerses you in the Preston family and their many layers. Laura, the main character is the youngest sibling and every part of her life has been shaped by the disappearance of her brother, Phillip, 40+ years ago.
While there is a mystery to this story, the unraveling of these multifaceted and imperfect family members is just as fascinating. The story of a family torn apart and the burdens they still carry today highlighted one of my favorite parts of reading, the complexities of being human, and the ever-present question, is there ever really just one person at fault?
The classicism, of the women living and working with the Preston family in Thailand, added a whole other dimension to this storyline and was one of the most powerful parts of the storyline for me. This story is just beautifully written, utterly absorbing and one I will never forget.
Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy. I purchased my audiobook copy through LibroFM and highly recommended the narrator Lisa Flannagan if you decide to go that reading route. You can read my full review at genthebookworm.com
When a glimmer of much-needed hope finally felt like it was indeed on the horizon, I decided it was time to try again. And then I saw some raving reviews from some of my most trusted book sources for What Could Be Saved, I knew it was a sign.
I decided to do my tried and true reading approach of alternating reading and listening to this title, and wow. If you want to get completely engrossed in a genre like this, this is the way to go. While this book is hard to describe in a sentence or two, What Could Be Saved gives us a deeper look into a family that looks beautiful on the outside but when the curtains are pulled back, layers of turmoil are exposed.
Told through dual timelines, present-day in Washington D.C. and Bangkok in the 1970s, this novel quickly immerses you in the Preston family and their many layers. Laura, the main character is the youngest sibling and every part of her life has been shaped by the disappearance of her brother, Phillip, 40+ years ago.
While there is a mystery to this story, the unraveling of these multifaceted and imperfect family members is just as fascinating. The story of a family torn apart and the burdens they still carry today highlighted one of my favorite parts of reading, the complexities of being human, and the ever-present question, is there ever really just one person at fault?
The classicism, of the women living and working with the Preston family in Thailand, added a whole other dimension to this storyline and was one of the most powerful parts of the storyline for me. This story is just beautifully written, utterly absorbing and one I will never forget.
Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy. I purchased my audiobook copy through LibroFM and highly recommended the narrator Lisa Flannagan if you decide to go that reading route. You can read my full review at genthebookworm.com
ireniam's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
4.5/5
El hijo de una familia de expatriados estadounidenses, que viven en Tailandia en los 70, desaparece. 40 años más tarde, alguien contacta a la hija menor diciendo que encontraron a su hermano en Tailandia, ahora un hombre de 50 y pico de años.
La historia es narrada en dos tiempos: en los 70 mientas la familia vivía en Tailandia y en el presente en Estados Unidos, donde viven en ese momento. El libro muestra el impacto causado en la familia por la desaparición del hijo y también los eventos previos a este hecho.
He descubierto que los libros enfocados en dramas familiares son lo mío. Me encanta ver como cada miembro juega un rol, como las acciones de los padres e hijos impactan directamente a la familia como tal, las emociones de cada personaje, sus decisiones, etc. Son libros que te hacen reflexionar sobre aspectos reales de la vida.
Este no es libro ligero, es uno que despierta emociones en el lector. Tiene temas pesados que si quieren "espoilearse" un poco pueden buscar los trigger warnings, sin embargo, el libro no peca de usar estos tópicos para manipular emocionalmente al lector ni tampoco se sienten gratuitos para impresionar.
En conclusión, me ha encantado. Una joya.
El hijo de una familia de expatriados estadounidenses, que viven en Tailandia en los 70, desaparece. 40 años más tarde, alguien contacta a la hija menor diciendo que encontraron a su hermano en Tailandia, ahora un hombre de 50 y pico de años.
La historia es narrada en dos tiempos: en los 70 mientas la familia vivía en Tailandia y en el presente en Estados Unidos, donde viven en ese momento. El libro muestra el impacto causado en la familia por la desaparición del hijo y también los eventos previos a este hecho.
He descubierto que los libros enfocados en dramas familiares son lo mío. Me encanta ver como cada miembro juega un rol, como las acciones de los padres e hijos impactan directamente a la familia como tal, las emociones de cada personaje, sus decisiones, etc. Son libros que te hacen reflexionar sobre aspectos reales de la vida.
Este no es libro ligero, es uno que despierta emociones en el lector. Tiene temas pesados que si quieren "espoilearse" un poco pueden buscar los trigger warnings, sin embargo, el libro no peca de usar estos tópicos para manipular emocionalmente al lector ni tampoco se sienten gratuitos para impresionar.
En conclusión, me ha encantado. Una joya.
mongert's review
5.0
A family drama about an American family that spans time from 1972-2019 and takes place in Thailand and in the U.S.A. The family is full of secrets, and the tragedy of the youngest son going missing in Thailand in 1971 shapes the family member's lives and relationships with each other and others.
I thought this was a beautiful book about personal change, loneliness, regret, how we misperceive each other, impermanence, and love. I fell into this book so hard that I dreamt about it while I was reading it.
I'm not sure how historically accurate it was, but it is also about Thailand in 1971 and in years after, and it touches on the Vietnam war and other societal issues.
I thought this was a beautiful book about personal change, loneliness, regret, how we misperceive each other, impermanence, and love. I fell into this book so hard that I dreamt about it while I was reading it.
I'm not sure how historically accurate it was, but it is also about Thailand in 1971 and in years after, and it touches on the Vietnam war and other societal issues.
elsebeok's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Trafficking
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
carolynu's review
5.0
Loved this book! The novel is set in current day and Bangkok in the early seventies. An American family is living in Bangkok for the father’s job when one of the children is kidnapped. The family is torn apart and much later able to come together again. So well written!
samantita's review
5.0
The book started right away with the story--no dragging fluff or nonsense. It was about a family of 5 in the 1970s--mom, dad, two girls, and a boy. They move from D.C. to Bangkok so the dad could become a spy under the guise of building a dam for a humanitarian project. After 4 years of living there, the boy disappears, only to reappear in 2019. The story is told between the two timelines.
What makes the story so good is that it's the perfect blend of a character-driven novel and a plot-driven novel. Each character, even the seemingly minor ones, plays an important role in how the events unfold. Each character's thoughts and choices are revealed in such a way that it puts you right into the moment. And the plot only left me continuously craving more. I was even worried that we wouldn't find out what happened to Philip!
It's gonna be hard to beat this book this year, and it's only January.
What makes the story so good is that it's the perfect blend of a character-driven novel and a plot-driven novel. Each character, even the seemingly minor ones, plays an important role in how the events unfold. Each character's thoughts and choices are revealed in such a way that it puts you right into the moment. And the plot only left me continuously craving more. I was even worried that we wouldn't find out what happened to Philip!
It's gonna be hard to beat this book this year, and it's only January.